Underwater Concreting

Major recent developments by the Engineers in the underwater construction of locks and dams include the in-the- wet construction method. Underwater Concreting uses precast concrete modules as the in situ form into which concrete is placed directly underwater. The underwater concrete is designed to work in composite with the precast concrete. In depth studies have shown that in-the-wet construction will lead to substantial savings in cost and construction time, in addition to minimizing the effect on river traffic during construction and eliminating the impact on navigation during rehabilitation. Many outstanding examples exist of high quality concrete placed underwater. However, a significant number of failures have occurred which have resulted in excessive cost overruns and delays. Due in large part to improper concrete mixtures and improper placement techniques, these failures might have been prevented if state of-the-art underwater concrete technology had been more widely disseminated among engineers and contractors. This report focuses on the basic performance requirements of underwater concrete materials, with emphasis on practical construction issues for in-the-wet construction of navigation structures. Latter portions of the report address underwater concrete construction procedures.

INTRODUCTION

Concreting that is done in the water is known as Underwater Concreting. The variations in properties are not much different, the problem associated with washout of concrete poses requirement of addition of admixtures to reduce the washout properties of Under Water Concrete. Placing concrete under water and also in very deep foundations, such as caissons requires different methods than ordinarily employed for placing in air. The repair of concrete underwater is usually difficult, requiring specialized products and systems and the services of highly qualified and experienced professionals.

A Techie, Blogger, Web Designer, Programmer by passion who aspires to learn new Technologies every day. A founder of Krazytech. It's been 10+ years since I am publishing articles and enjoying every bit of it. I want to share the knowledge and build a great community with people like you.